Transmissions
by Miss Krahka
Summary: A series of transmissions between a bounty hunter and her Jedi consular brother. Contains spoilers for JC and BH storylines.


BEGIN TRANSMISSION  
"Guess what I just got into?"  
"The University of Aldera? You got a lead role in a Coruscanti musical. If you got into the Jedi Order I'd probably know …"  
"Getting colder, Tal."  
"If you got into the military I doubt you'd be so cheerful. The University of Coruscant? A highly competitive internship at Adascacorp? The SIS? A lot of trouble. A very small box."  
"If you'd just shut up for five seconds I'd just tell you."

"I'm in the Great Hunt! At least I met a guy who's going to get me in. Braden's legit too, made sure to check out everything so that it wouldn't just be a scam."  
"The Great Hunt? They're still having those? I guess it makes sense that it's not the Jedi doing it again since the last one turned out so poorly. And with the current rise of the dark side, and they were created to be resistant to the Force, and not, presumably against blaster bolts, though they use similar plasma as lightsabers. But they do feed off the blood of Force users and that does include you, so …"  
"Are we talking about the same Great Hunt?"  
"There were a few, but I don't think there has been one since three hundred years ago or so. Can't remember exact date. Irrelevant."  
"The one the Mandalorians put on? For bounty hunters?"  
"Why would they hunt Tarentatek? For sport, I suppose? It's not like they aren't still gigantic predatory beasts."  
"I don't even know what a Tarentatek is. The Great Hunt is a competition for bounty hunters. To hunt bounties."  
"Tautologically, it would make sense for bounty hunters to hunt bounties."  
"Do you have any idea how exciting this is?"  
"Considering that I had the wrong Great Hunt, not really. But I can guess that it is very exciting?"  
"You are such a dork, Tal. That's why I love you. I just wanted to make sure you know."  
"If you're glad, I'm glad. I'm sure that you will take out the most bounties and become fabulously wealthy and win the greatest prize and not be eaten."  
"Thanks, Tal."  
"By the way, any lead on Salune?"  
"None yet. The Hunt starts on Dromund Kaas these days, so I'm sure I'll find something."  
"Be careful. If the Sith find you …"  
"We've got a plan for that. I told you, this guy is legit."  
"I hope so. May the Force be with you, Kalri."  
"You too, Tal."  
END TRANSMISSION

—

BEGIN TRANSMISSION  
"Kalri! Kalri! You won't believe who I have as my Master now!"  
"That guy you keep talking about, what's his name …"  
"Odan Urr's been dead for centuries. I've got the next best thing. That's still alive."  
"Revan? Wait, he's also dead. Most of the Jedi you talk about are all dead."  
"Well Master Yuon Par is very much alive. Unless she is a very convincing Force spirit. Or a droid with the Force signature of something that's alive. A clone, perhaps? Maybe the real Yuon Par has been dead for millennia. Seems unlikely, but I never rule out a possibility."  
"I don't know, Tal, that sounds like something you can rule out. Master Occam's Razor and all that?"  
"True, she is probably alive and not a clone. Unless I'm the clone!"  
"No Tal, I remember you as a baby, you're not a clone. Unless mom and dad were hiding a lot from me."  
"We'd need proof and I don't have proof, so I think I'll just live with this for the rest of my life."  
"How tragic for you."  
"We were talking about Yuon Par, right? You know that she's one of the best archaeologists in the Jedi Order alive today?"  
"Better than you?"  
"I'm still just a Padawan, so not yet."  
"I bet you will be, and if you're apprenticed under the greatest archaeologist? I bet you'll surpass her in no time."  
"We're going to Tython! I can't believe it, but I'm going to Tython! Tython!"  
"That's great! I think."  
"I'll be excavating sites from the beginning of the Jedi Order! I can't believe we've found Tython again, it almost makes up for the Sacking, I hope they have holocrons, I love holocrons …"  
"Wait, hold on. What's that, Mako? Sorry, gotta cut this off and get to work. We'll talk later, right?"  
"Right …"  
END TRANSMISSION

—

BEGIN TRANSMISSION  
"Hey, Tal! Guess what?"  
"I … I don't know. Sorry. What?"  
"You all right, Tal?"  
"I'm fine. I'll be fine. Please, tell me."  
"I won the Great Hunt! Mandalore made me his champion and everything! It was awesome!"  
"Congratulations! I knew it was important to you. In all that time, did you find any leads on Salune?"  
"None yet."  
"Oh. I see."  
"Tal, you're taking care of yourself, right?"  
"I … yes, I am."  
"You've been sleeping all right? Remembering to eat well? You don't sound so good."  
"Sorry."  
"No, no, don't apologize. You don't have anything to apologize for. I'm just worried about you. You look in a bad way."  
"I've been working hard, that's all. If the Council remembers me, I'll be fine. It'll be over, I hope."  
"My ship's always open, if you get sick of the Jedi. If they're working you too hard, I'll always be here. You don't have to be a Jedi, you know. Don't let them guilt you into doing anything you don't want to do."  
"No. This has to be done."  
"If you say so."  
"I need to get going. Lives are depending on me."  
"You'll do fine. It'll all work out in the end. You're the smartest Jedi I know. Hell, you're the smartest kid I know."  
"Sometimes."  
"The Force is with you, Tal."  
"I hope so. I really hope so."  
END TRANSMISSION

—

BEGIN TRANSMISSION  
"Hey, Tal, you still hanging with that Trandoshan?"  
"Qyzen? Yes, we're still friends."  
"So I expect by now you're a Trandoshan expert."  
"I'm only the Herald of the Scorekeeper. I cannot speak for an entire species, but I understand the basics of their philosophy and society. More than most. There are many misconceptions."  
"Well, right now I'm hunting down a Trandoshan pirate that's been ravaging the Chiss in the Unknown Regions."  
"The Chiss? They're worthy targets, but they don't have the full power of the Republic or the Empire behind them. Many points in that, they aren't exactly helpless, but I doubt the Sith would stick out their necks to strike this pirate down. Not the way a Jedi would if it was Republic territory. Clever. He's probably gained many points from his hunts. It is a male Trandoshan, correct? I don't want to be sexist."  
"Yeah, it's a man. But wait, points?"  
"Yes, Jagganath points. They're earned by hunting powerful, dangerous targets, among other things. They're tallied by Scorekeeper, their goddess, who exists outside of time and space, and they determine your place in the afterlife. With as many bounties as you've hunted, I'm sure you have many points. Scorekeeper would be pleased with you, I think."  
"So how does this help me take this guy down?"  
"If you make yourself a target, if you prove that you would be worth many points to take down, then he will come to you. And try to kill you. But you will win, yes?"  
"So make myself a worthy target?"  
"By taking out things that he cannot. Things worthy of respect. You are planning on killing him, yes? Taking in the bounty dead?"  
"I don't kill unless I have to, and the Chiss want him alive, so probably not."  
"No! No! No no no! Whatever you do, don't capture him alive! Don't make him suffer like that!"  
"What'd be the problem?"  
"That's the worst thing you can do to a Trandoshan! Being taken alive means losing all of your points, every single one you've ever gained in your life! It means dying and spending eternity as nothing! Surely they'll understand if an accident happened, or if he refused to be taken in alive, committed suicide, you just didn't feel like taking the bonus, you can make excuses."  
"Okay, okay, I will. I mean, I won't take him alive."  
"Please. Give him a dignified death. No matter what he's done, he deserves a good death. I wouldn't be a good Herald of Scorekeeper if I didn't ask you to do this. For me. Please."  
"If it's that important to you, I'll do it."  
"Please."  
"I'd do anything for you, Tal. You know that."  
"Thank you."  
END TRANSMISSION

BEGIN TRANSMISSION  
"Kalri! The Supreme Chancellor just called me in to a public hearing about you! What have you done?"  
"I swear, by Ashla, I didn't do any of it! I was framed! Well, for most of it."  
"They say you murdered Jedi Masters! You've slaughtered innocents who begged for you to surrender! All for credits? If someone paid you enough, would you kill me?"  
"Of course I wouldn't!"  
"It's not like I don't have enemies, Kalri! Would they come to you first? Because you know me, or because they know you'll do anything? I thought you were just working in Imperial space to find Salune! I didn't know you were working for the Empire!"  
"Tal!"  
"I don't want to believe a word of it, but the evidence …"  
"It's all made up!"  
"Really? Can I believe you anymore? Can I believe anything you've ever told me?"  
"Tal, I've done some things I've regret, true, but this? Someone's tried to frame me! That Jedi Master murdered my friends!"  
"Master Jun Seros? Or Kellian Jarro? Because you're apparently a Mandalorian now?"  
"Well, yes, I am, but …"  
"I publically denounced you, I had to, I'm in a delicate situation politically and I felt bad about doing it. But now? What else have you been hiding from me?"  
"Please Tal, I know you care about the truth and if you looked into this, you'd find it. I know you trust me. We're family, right?"  
"Are we anymore? Or are the Mandalorians your family?"  
"I'll find the truth. I'll prove it to everyone. They can hunt me down but I won't let them take you from me."  
"You did that yourself."  
"Wait! One last thing!"  
"I'm hesitant to even listen."  
"Salune. I found her."  
"You did? Is she safe? Or is she just another of your victims?"  
"She's fine, but … she's a Sith Lord now. I tried to get her to come back. She won't. She's not coming back."  
"How long have you known this information without telling me?"  
"Tal …"  
"Don't call me again. Don't even call me again. Turn yourself in, run away, I don't care. Just don't get me involved again."  
"Talward! Please don't …"  
END TRANSMISSION

—

BEGIN TRANSMISSION  
"So how much of it was true?"  
"More than I'd like. Sometimes it's hard to sleep at night, y'know?"  
"The past is immutable. It's only a template for the future, whether as something to replicate or avoid retracing."  
"How long'd you spend on that gem of wisdom? Or is it some ancient Jedi proverb of some kind. Who's that Jedi you're always talking about, Yuon Par? Odan Urr?"  
"It's something I came up with myself. I am on the Jedi Council now, I ought to be able to come up with wise sounding things on the fly."  
"Jedi Council, huh? Salune's on the Dark Council now. They're calling her Darth Nox now."  
"The ways of the Force are strange indeed. I would be glad she's safe, but from what I hear, it's the least safe place to be in the entire Empire."  
"I'm sure she'll manage it. She's a tough girl. She won't say it, but she misses you."  
"As do I. This war tears everything apart for nothing."  
"Tell me about it."  
"So what will you do now?"  
"I'm not sure. I think I'm done with the Empire, but you'll excuse me if I'm not exactly enthusiastic about the Republic."  
"I can understand. What Master Seros did was inexcusable."  
"The GenoHaradan might be after Dorian for foiling their plans about me. Maybe I'll see if he needs a bodyguard. That should be steady work."  
"Are you on a first name basis with the former Supreme Chancellor?"  
"I bring up the GenoHaradan and you're more concerned about who I've been hobnobbing with? What happened to the politician hating conspiracy theorist I knew?"  
"Don't get me started. Don't even get me started. Well, it wasn't that bad, but it's his fault that I had to do it in the first place."  
"It was his idea to clear my name and release everything. I didn't even have to put a gun to his head. It's been so long, it's refreshing to see people who really care about things when they don't have a gun to their head."  
"I know you've offered this with me, but you can come with me. Become a Jedi. I'd take you as my Padawan, so you know it'd be fun."  
"Nah, that sounds just about as appealing as going and becoming Salune's apprentice as a Sith. I love you two, but I like my freedom too."  
"I understand. It was just a thought. If anything, I'd like to take up bounty hunting now, if only to get out of having to be on the Jedi Council, but I'm doing this for Master Bakarn."  
"Watch out for those Jedi Masters, Tal. They can be pretty vicious."  
"I am well aware of that."  
"Because you're one yourself?"  
"Among other things."  
"I'm glad we're good again, Tal. I love you, y'know."  
"A Jedi isn't supposed to maintain attachments to his family, but I'm glad you've tried to stay in touch."  
"Awww, that's sweet, you love me too!"  
"There is no emotion …"  
"Don't lie to me. I've had enough lying Jedi Masters to last me another century."  
"Fine. I love you too. And I promise I'll be better than Master Seros. Maybe the Council does need some reformation."  
"That's the spirit, Tal! I know you'll do great."  
"Even if I plan to spend all my time avoiding the meetings and going out on digs instead?"  
"Especially then. You wouldn't be Talward otherwise."  
"I wouldn't be Talward if you didn't believe in me. Whatever you do, whatever the future brings, may the Force be with you, Kalri."  
"I don't even need to say that to you, Tal. I know it's with you."  
END TRANSMISSION


End file.
